Thursday, December 27, 2012

The Hangmen - Used ep (1995, Deep Six)

Thought this would be an appropriate follow-up to my recent Sea Hags entry, considering The Hangmen's trajectory was relatively similar. Scooped up in the same major label feeding frenzy that absorbed "streetwise" youngsters like the Hags et al, this L.A. quartet were inspired by the likes of the Stooges, and were eager to eschew the pomp and glammed-up circumstances of what their hometown had become a sheer mockery of. Their 1989 debut for Capitol Records wasn't necessarily as sleazy and greazy as the output of their Axl and Slash worshiping competitors, but the Hangmen's modus operandi was by leaps and bounds more organic than insufferable, hairsprayed monstrosities like Firehouse. Given the superficial climate of hard rock in the late '80s, The Hangmen fared none-too-well. The dawn of Nirvana was imminent, and even though the quartet ironically made the jump to Geffen by the early nineties (with their sophomore effort already prepped) their second big label bid turned out to be a non-starter, and the album was shelved.

From what I've been able to gather in the little time I've had to research them, the Hangmen never officially called it splitsville, and in fact reemerged in earnest in 2000 with a volley of new albums, bearing a rockabilly bent that certainly wasn't present on their ill-fated tryst with Capitol, or for that matter this 1995 ep that I'm humbly offering tonight. Used is a demonstrably raw, full-tilt missive, heavily in league with D Generation, and serves as an inadvertent forecast of the raging gutterball Nashville Pussy would be hurling in our direction in a few years time. "Last Drive," their debut album's most visceral and concussive moment is retooled here with an extra splash of petrol thrown onto the firepit for good measure. You can try your hand at catching up with The Hangmen on Facebook.

I got the Seahags their first gig when I lived in San Francisco. Lol. Tex Mosely, my good friend, played with the Hangmen for a while. He played lead on their contribution to the Alice Cooper tribute album "Only Women Bleed". Tex and I started rehearsals with other members of the Hangmen in 06 but nothing came of it. Tex is in the Neighborhood Bullies but isn't too juiced with it and we have our side projects, The Born Losers and the Bourbon Street Renegades. Me, I was a drummer for the Ophelias, the Catheads, the Hollow Men, A3I with Will Shatter, the Slow Poisoners, Dee Dee Ramone....and Johnny Thunders too.

I got the Seahags their first gig when I lived in San Francisco. Lol. Tex Mosely, my good friend, played with the Hangmen for a while. He played lead on their contribution to the Alice Cooper tribute album "Only Women Bleed". Tex and I started rehearsals with other members of the Hangmen in 06 but nothing came of it. Tex is in the Neighborhood Bullies but isn't too juiced with it and we have our side projects, The Born Losers and the Bourbon Street Renegades. Me, I was a drummer for the Ophelias, the Catheads, the Hollow Men, A3I with Will Shatter, the Slow Poisoners, Dee Dee Ramone....and Johnny Thunders too.

Hey Ruben. Thanks for commenting. Sounds like you lived quite the charmed life (even though the compensation probably didn't match). I know that there have been a few bands named the Hollow Men over the years. Was this one based in Cali?